PETER BEARD and AZZEDINE ALAÏA. A journey of friendship
Azzedine Alaïa and Maureen Gallagher in Kenya for Elle France, 1996 © The Estate of Peter Beard, Courtesy Peter Beard Studio
In April 1996, following an invitation from Elle magazine, Azzedine Alaïa travelled to Kenya to reunite with his lifelong friend and photographer Peter Beard, who was living in Kenya at the time.
They met up in Turkana Land where they spent several days living among the Samburu people, closely related to the Maasai. Peter Beard spoke their language and knew their customs intimately. With the quiet attentiveness that defined him, Azzedine Alaïa observed, studied and at times, spontaneously draped fabrics and created informal garments on the spot.
Yet it was not outward appearance that captivated him most. He was deeply moved by the Samburu’s grace of movement and by the slow, solemn rhythm of their walk, as though it had remained unchanged since the dawn of times.
Many years later, Azzedine Alaïa would recall this journey with a profound sense of wonder, as if remembering a dream.